


Hort's Lament

by Kumikoko



Category: The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani
Genre: F/M, MinorHort/Nicola, spoilers book 4 quest for glory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 08:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16677742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumikoko/pseuds/Kumikoko
Summary: Hort knows he can't have Sophie, but that doesn't stop him from wanting her.





	Hort's Lament

**Author's Note:**

> I am the Hort/Sophie shipper. It is the one true pairing, and I will not accept anything to the contrary. Now, this doesn't mean that I didn't give Nicola a chance. I did. I.don't.like.her. Hort deserves Sophie. He understands her. He doesn't want her to change. But I guess I'm preaching to the choir. 
> 
> Anyways, I wanted this fic to be really emotional, well-thought out and in depth, but I feel it came out differently then it was supposed to. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Ya'll can read it if you want. I mean, it's not like there's much else to choose from. This fandom is small. There's only a few other Sophie/Hort's to choose from. I read them. I like them, by the way. Go read them too, maybe. And try not to notice that maybe I could have done better.

Hort's Lament

 

He thought about her a lot.

Even now, as Nicola touched his chest, with her thick lips against his neck, all Hort could think about was how fine Sophie was with catching him with the first-year Evergirl. Sophie _still_ wasn’t jealous.

Which was fine, it was totally, and completely fine because he was dating a girl who _did_ appreciate him. A girl who had even written him love letters.

Hort grabbed her breast, and smushed their lips together.  Nicola moaned into the kiss while she ran her fingers through his hair.

They were touching in ways that Sophie never would have allowed him to touch her.

After all of this time, he was with a girl who wanted him.

It wasn’t like she was a rebound.

So why wasn’t he _happy_?

Briskly, Hort pulled away from Nicola, breathless and sweaty.

Always sweaty, and oily.

“Hort?” Nicola questioned, sensing something was wrong.

“I—I need some air.” Was all Hort said as he scrambled out of the tent, stepping into the forest. He fled from the girl who wanted him, and found a private hollow in a tree that he sequestered himself away into. He didn’t want to be found by her because then he’d have to confront his own feelings and he wasn’t ready to do that.

A date was what he had promised Nicola, under the pressure of nosy classmates. A date was what he had given Nicola, a date that Sophie had intruded on as Sophie intruded on every milestone of his life. Sophie was always there, even when she wasn’t, and after all of this time he couldn’t get her out of his head.

Even though for the first time in his life, a girl wanted him. No, two girls wanted him. Nicola, and Dot. Dot was sweet and all, but she wasn’t Hort’s type. Nicola…well, there wasn’t anything really wrong with Nicola. She had a bad attitude, and expected too much of people, but Hort had his own character flaws. He wasn’t about to judge Nicola for being a prickly swamp alligator with a catty smile. 

_What is wrong with me_ , Hort lamented to himself as he wrapped his arms around his body, feeling like the loser of the year. He had weaseled into one of the most renown fairy tales of all time and was on the verge of being a celebrity, who had friends in high places—at least, he thought of them as friends.

He even attended parties where a strict, fancy dress code was enforced. But the fact of the matter was that even though he felt as if he was cooler than he ever had been before, Sophie _still_ wasn’t interested in him. Here he was, flaunting his new relationship and it didn’t even make Sophie blink twice at him.

Couldn’t she see how far he had come? What other Never boy could have accomplished what he had? Hort even looked like an Everboy—at least insofar as a Neverboy could be handsome. Which was saying something because Hort disliked Everboys. Some of his negative opinions of Neverboys were based in jealousy, not that he’d admit that to anyone though. Still, Sophie wouldn’t acknowledge him.

That’s what hurt the most.

Hort rubbed at his eyes furiously. Pirates didn’t cry. The thick tears multiplied, trickling down his cheeks with a vengeance.

_If I was an Everboy, a fairy godmother would zap my tears away, put me in a tuxedo, and whisk me away to the No Ball where I could dance with Sophie until midnight_. Hort thought bitterly, knowing happy endings and fairy god mothers didn’t happen to Never boys.

The past few months he had been as good as he could be to catch Sophie’s eye—she liked those insufferable Ever boys after all. All of his efforts had been in vain, and now Hort felt the show he built up crumble around him. He had been pretending for so long that the dreams he had would, and could make sense without Sophie by his side, that, as long as he focused on Nicola, he could move on from Sophie, and forget about her.

But he couldn’t forget about Sophie even though she was too often cold, and cruel to him because she knew what she was doing and he _liked_ that. It didn’t even matter that she would snicker at his dreams if he ever confided in her about them because Hort would just feel lucky that he made her laugh at all.

Truth was, Hort would do anything for Sophie, no questions asked. She was beautiful, and maniacally clever. Anyone who knew Sophie knew she sashayed around the world as if she owned it, backed up by her attituded she wielded as a weapon. And while it was true she couldn’t keep a secret, and that she knew how to manipulate him with words, he still loved her.

Sophie this, Sophie that. Hort knew he must sound like a broken record by now, yet he couldn’t help it. The feelings he had for Sophie were bittersweet because she knew just how to ruin, or make his day with a few short words. It was part of why he felt like the loser of the year because if he didn’t have her at his side, he was sure he was a worthless weasel after all.

There wasn’t any point to the popularity, nor the good Ever-boy looks if Sophie wasn’t his. He’d give everything up—actually, he already had given up himself, and his quest to be with her. It wasn’t enough. It was never enough. And now, not only was Agatha back in Sophie’s life, but another prince charming had come along, sweeping Sophie off of her feet.

Some guy in a lion’s mask. Another Ever boy.

Hort was tired of competing for Sophie’s attention. He leaned his head back and let out a soft, morose sigh. Sophie’s disinterest hurt. But what hurt Hort more was the fact that he knew that as soon as he saw her again, his heart would swell with hope, and love.

_I just don’t learn_. Hort grumbled, setting a hand on his head.

He’d forgive Sophie. He’d forgive her for ignoring him, and he’d forgive her for the truth because he liked her better when she lied. Then again, who didn’t? Sophie’s lies were always placating, and kind. The lies were as cute as her pink dress was.

That was part of why he wrote her off again and chose to give Nicola a chance. He sat in the shelter of the tree and practiced all of the things he would say to Sophie when he saw her again.

_I am over you_. He told himself that, again, and again as he crept out of the hollow of the tree and skulked to a quiet, desolated clearing of the forest. “I am over you!” Hort shouted, louder, and louder.

“Just who are you trying to convince, darling?”

Hort froze.

He knew her voice. It was the same one that haunted his dreaming, and waking mind.

Hort whirled around, pale, and breathless from screaming his heart out. Sophie stood near some deadly nightshade flowers. He tried not to think about the irony and instead focused on how his heart had leapt into his throat again.

“Nicola says you ran off in a tizzy,” Sophie said, approaching him. Hort eyed the way her delicate hips swished right and left like the ocean’s rolling waves. “Said I messed with your head again.”

“No,” Hort refuted too quickly, with a tense shake of his head. “I am—”

“Over me,” Sophie finished, clasping a fair-skinned hand over her hip. “Then why are you here instead of in the arms of a girl who does love you?” Sophie questioned softly, her green eyes glinting knowingly in the moonlight. Hort swallowed hard, and looked away as shame colored his face.

Everything Hort had practiced in his head dissipated, leaving no room for self preservation. “I don’t love her.” Hort admitted quietly and self consciously looked around himself, concerned that Nicola might be eavesdropping again.

“Then are you free to pick some of those white snap dragons up for me?” Sophie requested, placing a hand on his chest. Hort shuddered, wondering what her soft hand would feel like against his bare skin. “I hear they only blossom on moonlit nights like this one.” Sophie told him, gesturing towards the dreamy moon high in the sky. Its light rained down on them, illuminating them.

“Yes.” Hort responded automatically, jumping at the chance to help Sophie. He’d lost the nerve to stand up for himself, even though he knew that snapdragons bit. Hard.

“Thank you, darling,” Sophie purred, kissing Hort’s cheek. Heat rose to Hort’s face, coloring his cheeks pink. “Oh, and I hear they’re poisonous but that’s not a problem for you, is it?” Sophie simpered, affectionately running her fingers through his greasy hair. Hort’s heart thudded hard against his chest.

Brain _: She’s just using you_.

Heart _: I know, I know_.

Brain _: Tell her no_.

Heart _: I can’t_.

Brain _: You can’t, or you won’t_?

Heart _: I—I know she’s manipulating me but_ —

Brain _: But. But_!? _There should be no but_!

Heart _: I love her_!

“Anything for you.” Hort breathed out, ignoring his brain that screamed, and begged him to deny her request. _She kissed my cheek, and touched my hair_. Hort realized, giddy and overjoyed. It was a temporary bliss.

“I’ll wait up for you then to deliver it,” Sophie said, stepping back. “I must use the ingredients when they’re fresh after all.” Hort nodded in agreement, love-struck. “Flah-se-dah then.” Sophie chimed, sashaying away from Hort, leaving him alone in the forest.

Obediently, Hort sniffed some snap dragons out and wrestled with them long into the morning to pluck them, and then smash them up into a use-able goop that Sophie would undoubtedly use in a facial cream. His hands were bitten up by the time he was done, while his ego was left bruised and sore.

_I know I’m being used_. Hort told his brain, while he sucked blood off of his thumb. _I let it happen because the more I suffer, the more it will show her I care about her_. That was his theory, anyways. _I am a glutton for punishment anyways_. He reasoned with himself further. _It’s not like I have any self esteem_. Hort wiped his hands off on his pants, picked the container of snap dragons up, and headed to the treehouse that Sophie was staying in with Rhian.

As he approached the cabin, his heart and brain continued to debate with each other, forever at odds.

_If she keeps playing coy with me, I might just tell her I don’t like it_. Hort assured his brain. _The rejection has gotten me low before but I’ll stand up for myself if it happens again_. Hort figured, knocking on the door.

Sophie opened the door. “Took you long enough,” Sophie quipped, taking the container from his hands. “I wondered if you’d gotten bit or something.” She mumbled distractedly as she stepped back into the house.

“Actually, I did—” Hort began, but the door was shut in his face. For a split second Hort thought about knocking on the door again to give her a piece of his mind. As soon as the thought had manifested in his mind, Hort discarded it. _I don’t want to make her mad_. Hort decided, swallowing his pride, and what remained of his poor self-esteem. He knew he was kind of dumb sometimes, but he wasn’t about to piss off the girl he loved.

Hort looked at his bit-up hands and arms. The only reason he wasn’t dead was because the snap dragon’s venom didn’t effect wolf-men. His heart told him that Sophie knew that, but his brain reminded him that she probably hadn’t known that.

Rejected, but not deterred, Hort shoved his hands into his pockets as he trudged back to Nicola and tried to think of how he could mend their beginning relationship.


End file.
